Massachusetts Town Sues Firefighting Foam Manufacturer

The city has been forced to close two wells near the Barnes Air National Guard Base

Westfield, Mass., has filed suit against 3M Co., Chemguard Inc., and Tyco Fire Protection Products, the manufacturers of firefighting foam responsible for groundwater contamination in the town. The foam had be used at the Barnes Air National Guard Base and the Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport for firefighter training, and recent tests revealed emerging contaminants per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) in two nearby wells, as reported by The Washington Post.

The lawsuit states that, “the defendant manufacturers knew or should have known that the chemicals are persistent when released into the environment and harmful.”

This is not the first time 3M has taken the heat for emerging contaminant PFAS groundwater contamination. Most recently, they agreed to pay $850 million in a settlement with the state of Minnesota. The city of Westfield is working with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to monitor water quality and provide filtration facilities serving public wells near the air base but seeks financial assistance in these costs from the manufacturers they deem responsible.